Disneyland, Home Edition: Walt's Chili

Yesterday Thatbaby turned 5.  5!!!!!  He'll always be my baby, but he certainly isn't one anymore. 

All he wanted for his birthday was to go to Disneyland.  He's been talking about it since November.  When we figured out that couldn't happen we decided to bring Disneyland to him the weekend before his birthday. 

We started the morning off with Mickey waffles.

And then we headed to California Adventure.  One of the things we've never done at California Adventure, but I knew the kids would enjoy, was the Animation Academy, where you learn to draw Disney characters.  We worked on a couple different versions of Mickey Mouse.

Thatkid LOVED this, and he spent all of Thatbaby's nap drawing more characters, then got up the next morning and did some more. 

Then we virtually rode some of the California Adventure rides.  Including some Thatbaby would never ride in real life, like Guardians of the Galaxy.

After we rode all our favorite rides, we crossed over to Disneyland park and went on a cruise.  A jungle cruise.

We took a break to watch some parades and eat lunch - Monte Cristo sandwiches!

Next we headed to the Tiki Room (this one was really for me, I love the Tiki Room!).  And you can't go to the Tiki Room without stopping for Dole whip.  I used the "official" recipe posted by Disney, but after several friends passed along their experience I'll give you my super secret tip.  Everyone I know who made it claimed it was more of a smoothie than anything else, so after making it, I threw it in the ice cream maker to process for a couple minutes which gave it that awesome soft serve consistency.

This is the point where Thatbaby went down for his nap and Thatkid spent more time in the Animation academy.  After that, it was all rides for the rest of the afternoon.

We did take a little churro break while we rode the Mark Twain.

And the great thing about virtual rides is that you don't get sick if you eat right before going on them!

For dinner we headed over to the Carnation Cafe for a little chili in a bread bowl while we watched the Disney Family Sing A Longs.

And we watched a little World of Color while having our dessert.

About that chili.  My initial thought was gumbo in a bread bowl.  I love gumbo in a bread bowl at Disney.  But the kids are not gumbo fans.  The sausage is too spicy for them.  Bah.  But chili is something we can all do.  And Disney published the recipe for Walt's Chili served at the Carnation Cafe.

When I actually went to make it, I ran into small problem.  The recipe was a mess.  The ingredients didn't match the instructions.  There were ingredients listed that were never used in the instructions, and the instructions told you to use ingredients that weren't listed.  Not to mention the fact that the ingredients called for canned beans when the first step involved rinsing, sorting, and soaking the beans overnight.  So I don't know how authentic this is, but if you're looking to make Walt's chili, at least know this is going to get you closer than Disney's recipe!

Walt's Chili

1/4 cup olive oil

1 small onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 green pepper, diced

3/4 lb beef stew meat

3 Tbsp tomato paste

1 1/2 Tbsp onion powder

1 Tbsp cumin

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 Tbsp beef broth

1 1/2 cups water

2 plum tomatoes, diced

1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat.  Add onion and garlic and saute until translucent (about 5 minutes).
2. Add beef and green pepper and cook until beef is browned.
3. Add tomato paste, onion powder, cumin, and chili powder and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add tomatoes, beef broth, and water.  Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
5. Stir in fresh tomatoes and beans.  Continue cooking until they are heated through.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Universal Studios, Home Edition: Krusty Burgers and Lard Lad Doughnuts

This weekend we were supposed to be heading up to Universal Studios for their Running Universal Trolls race.  Thatkid and I were signed up for the 5k, while Thatbaby was going to do the kids' race.  Of course, like usual, we were going to make a whole weekend out of it.

But since the race was cancelled, and Universal Studios is closed for the foreseeable future, I decided that we'd do our Universal Studios weekend at home.  This worked especially well given that Universal just released their Trolls World Tour Movie for streaming instead of a theatrical release.

When the boys woke up, I had Trolls shirts and hats ready for them, since they wouldn't get them from the race.  I also had printed out park maps for the two of them to decide what ride or show they wanted to go on/see.

We set up the loveseat facing the television and the kids' chairs in front of it and pulled up some virtual ride-thrus on youtube.

The kids took turns being the "line manager" and asking how many were in our party and directing us to our seats.

And then we rode a bunch of rides.

We took a quick break at lunch to head over to "Springfield USA" which is where we usually eat lunch at the park, since there's something for everyone.  This day, however, everyone was stuck with one option - Krusty Burgers.  However, they were served with fries and Squishees.

I even managed to grab some Duffs for the adults.  (Although in this case it was an energy drink instead of a beer)

And after lunch, there was doughnut.  Just one.  But as big as the kids' heads.  Because that's how they serve them at Universal Studios and because that is Thatbaby's FAVORITE thing to eat there.  Just like at the park, we divided the doughnut into four pieces and split it.

After lunch and nap, there were more rides.

And even a show or two!

And of course, we rounded out the evening with a showing of  Trolls World Tour.

It actually ended up being a really fun way to spend the day.  Of course, riding rides virtually doesn't really compare with riding them in real life, but as Thatboy pointed out, there were also no wait times.

And we did a pretty good job of creating theme-park worthy food.  Our doughnuts might have even been better than the ones you get in the park!

Krusty Burgers

1 lb ground beef

2 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp flour

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup shredded cheddar

lettuce, tomato,  red onion

Thousand Island dressing

4 burger buns

4 cornichon

1. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat.  Divide the meat into 4 portions and shape into patties.  Season with salt and pepper and cook 4-5 minutes per side until desired doneness.
2. In a small saucepan, melt butter. 
3. Stir the flour into the butter and cook until a paste forms.
4. Stir in the milk and continue cooking and stirring until thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.  Remove from heat.
5. Stir the cheddar into the white sauce.
6. Place each burger patty on a bun and top with some of the cheese sauce.
7. Add lettuce, tomato, onion, and a squirt of thousand island before topping with the other half of the bun.
8. Garnish each with a cornichon and serve.

Lard Lad Doughnut

1 1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup + 1 tsp sugar, divided

1 packet active dry yeast

4 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

6 Tbsp butter, melted

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract, divided

canola oil

2 cups powdered sugar

pink food coloring

sprinkles

1.  Microwave 1 cup of milk for 40 seconds.
2. Add a teaspoon of sugar and stir to dissolve.
3. Sprinkle over yeast and let sit for 8-10 minutes, until frothy and bubbly.
4.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together remaining sugar, melted butter, eggs, and 1/2 tsp vanilla.
6. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix to combine.
7. Add in the dry ingredients, stirring until a shaggy dough forms.
8. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead until elastic, about 5 minutes (add more flour if necessary during this process)
9.  Form the dough into a tight ball and place in an oiled bowl, covered with a clean dish towel.  Let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size (about 1 hour).
10.  Line 2 baking sheets with silpat or parchment.  Punch down the dough and divided in half.
11. Roll out one half on a lightly floured work surface until it is about a 1/2 inch thick round.  Use a doughnut cutter or biscuit cutter to cut the center out of your "doughnut."  Repeat with second half of dough.  You can use the leftover scraps to craft more regular sized doughnuts or even doughnut holes.
12. Place doughnuts on baking sheets and cover with a dish towel.  Let rise again, about another hour.
13. Make the glaze.  In a shallow pie pan, whisk together remaining milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.  
14. Whisk in as much pink food coloring to the glaze to get your desired color.  
15.  Heat 2 inches of Canola oil in a large, shallow, saucepan - large enough for your doughnut to fit inside - to 350 degrees.  Cook doughnuts, one at a time, until deeply golden on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.
16. While doughnuts are cooking, line the baking sheets they were on with paper towels.  Remove doughnuts from oil and transfer to these baking sheets to drain and cool slightly.
17. Spoon glaze over top of doughnut and place on cooling rack.  Add sprinkles to your heart's content.

Oktoberfest: Sauerbrauten

San Diego boasts no fewer than 18 Oktoberfest celebrations.  And every year I vow we're going to make it to one.  And we haven't made it since 2009.

It's not my fault!  As I've said before, our weekends are SO full in the fall.  But this year, one of the local breweries were having their Oktoberfest late, on a Sunday.  And our Sundays are usually pretty quiet.  It was an adults only event, requiring tickets, so after checking in with our babysitter to make sure she was available, we planned a day date.

Of course, as often happens, after making that plan our Sunday filled up.  Sunday school, a birthday party - the event was from noon to 6pm, so we just made arrangements to head over around 2:30, after all our morning events.

So I guess really it was our own fault that by the time we arrived, they only had one stein (included with the price of our ticket) left.  Which isn't the biggest deal, except the first beer in that stein was free.  So while they subbed in a non-Oktoberfest stein, filling it wasn't as great of a deal. 

What wasn't our fault is that although they billed it as "adults only" and "tickets required" there were tons of kids running around.  And anyone who showed up was welcome to come join in the Oktoberfest festivities.  Which means that "free" stein of beer, just became a VERY expensive stein of beer since it included an unnecessary babysitter for two kids who would have been just as happy to run around playing with the other kids there.

Thatboy took part in a stein holding contest.

He did not win.

The guy next to him, who was sitting at our table did though!  So it was like we were part of the winning team.

The best part of the entire experience was the food.

I can't tell you about the German chocolate cake - I'm not a sweets girl.  But the sausage was excellent, the schnitzel was way better than expected, and the pretzel?  Well, I haven't met a pretzel a pretzel I didn't like.

While we ate, Thatboy and I reminisced about the food we ate in Austria.  We definitely have a soft spot for Austro-German (Germanic? Austro-Hungarian?  Eastern European?) cuisine.  And like my love of various other cuisines, I credit my parents.  

Wurst were introduced to us from an early age, with bratwurst being my favorite.  So much so that I introduced it to my kids last week - and they were likewise big fans.

But brats are easy.  For our own fall celebration at home I wanted something a little more special.  I was inspired by the new and improved Good Eats Reloaded which premiered this week.

If you've been reading this blog for a long period of time, you'll know I'm a HUGE Alton Brown fan.  If you're new - HI!  I'm a big Alton Brown Fan.  I've been super excited about the Reloading of an old favorite, so I popped open one of my Good Eats Cookbooks (I have all three) and pulled out this Sauerbraten recipe.    Sauerbraten, or "sour meat," gets its name from the vinegar marinade it sits in for days.  And while this dish is time consuming, it couldn't be easier.  You pour a bunch of vinegar in a bowl with the meat, let it sit, then pop it in the oven.  You end up with a super flavorful pot roast that goes perfectly with your favorite Marzen beer! 

Sauerbraten (From Alton Brown)

2 cups water

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup red wine vinegar

1 onion, chopped

1 carrot, chooped

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 bay leaves

6 whole cloves

12 juniper berries

1 tsp mustard seeds

3 1/2-4lb bottom round

1 Tbsp canola oil

1/3 cup sugar

18 gingersnaps, crushed

1. Combine water, vinegars, onion, carrot, salt, pepper, bay leaves, cloves, juniper berries, and mustard seeds in a large saucepan over high heat.  Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. Pat the bottom round dry, then rub with oil and salt on all sides.  
3. Heat a large saute pan over high heat.  Add the meat and brown on all sides.
4. When the marinade is cool, place the meat in a large glass or metal bowl and cover with the marinade.  Refrigerate for 3 days.
5. After 3 days, preheat the oven to 325.  Transfer the meat and marinade to an ovenproof pot or dutch oven. Add the sugar to the meat and marinade.  Cover and cook for 4 hours.
6. Remove meat and tent with foil to keep warm.  Strain the liquid to remove the solids.
7. Return the strained liquid to the pot and place over medium high heat.
8. Whisk in the gingersnaps and stir until the sauce has thickened.
9. Strain the sauce once more to remove any lumps.  Slice the meat and serve with the sauce.

Trail of Crumbs: La Daube Provencale

This is not a weeknight meal.  This is a hang home all day and let things simmer kind of meal. Which is one of my favorite kinds.  Because it means I get to be home all day.  And that rarely happens.  Last weekend we had an uncharacteristically empty weekend.  Just a birthday party Saturday morning.

And yet, somehow we ended up going to a pumpkin patch, getting Thatbaby's hair cut, running some errands, painting tombstones and attending a street fair.  You know, your basic do-nothing weekend.

I much prefer the weekends where I can hang out at home with my family, smelling the wafting scent of marinated beef cooking and listening to the little bubbles popping as it gets softer and more tender over the hours.

Red wine adds depth and complexity to this relatively simple dish, and the orange adds a new flavor element.  Sunee adds tapenade to thicken it, but I didn't find it to really add anything.  Served over polenta, it's the perfect way to end a lazy day at home.  If those actually happened.

La Daube Provencale (From Trail of Crumbs)

3 lbs beef chuck

3 medium onions, quartered

3 to 4 carrots, cut lengthwise and cut into thirds

bouquet garni

3 cups dry red wine

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 slices thick cut bacon, diced

1/3 cup flour

1 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 to 4 garlic cloves, smashed and coarsely chopped

1 orange

1 1/2 to 2 cups beef stock

2 to 3 Tbsp black olive tapenade

1. Combine beef and 2 of the onions and next 3 ingredients in large bowl.  Let marinate 5 to 6 hours.
2. Heat bacon on medium high in a large heavy-bottom pot about 5 minutes.
3. Place flour in a shallow bowl.
4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Remove beef with a slotted spoon and drain well.
6. Lightly dredge beef chunks in flour, adding a little more flour, as needed.
7. Add beef to pot and let brown, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes.
8. Add remaining onion and let cook about 5 minutes.
9. Add salt, pepper, garlic, and a strip of orange rund, and stir.
10. Add reserved wine marinade (reserve onions, carrots, and bouquet garni)  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium high and let wine reduce, skimming fat, about 15 minutes.
11. Add 1 1/2 to 2 cups beef stock or water, stir.
12. Add reserved onion, carrot, and bouquet garni.  Stir and cover pot and let cook on low heat about 3 1/2 to 4 hours. 
13. Remove orange rind and bouquet garni and discard.
14. Zest remaining orange and add to pot.
15. Squeeze juice from the orange, add to pot and stir.  Let cool, cover and refrigerate overnight.
16. Heat on medium to warm before serving and stir in tapenade.

Big Trees and Little Boys: Crock Pot Short Ribs

As I mentioned, we kept ourselves very busy during our Christmas trip to visit Thatboy's family.   Our first full day there, we headed out to Big Basin to check out the Redwoods and Giant Sequoias.  Otherwise known as "The Big Trees."

 

We're usually dwarfed by trees (heck, I'm pretty much dwarfed by bushes) but there's something really amazing about trees this large.  Trees that have been around for hundreds of years.  

Thatbaby enjoyed much of the hike, whether he rode on my back, Thatboy's shoulders, or walked.  But it was a pretty long hike for a little guy with short legs.  By the time we got to the waterfall, he was kind of tired and hungry.

He spent much of the hike back atop Thatboy's shoulders and was ready for a big meal when we got home.

Hiking always works up an appetite.  Something about the combination of exercise and fresh air.  We ended up with meatloaf that night, but hearty short ribs also fit the bill.  I've been using the crock pot a lot lately, and it's especially good for days when you're out all day hiking.  Because you get to come home to a nice hearty meal all ready and waiting!

Crock Pot Short Ribs

1 cup red wine

2/3 cup ketchup

3 Tbsp soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp brown sugar

4 lbs beef short ribs

2 onions, chopped

1. Combine the wine, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic and brown sugar in the slow cooker.
2. Add the ribs, stirring to coat in the sauce.
3. Distribute the onions over the ribs.  Cook on low for 8 hours.

What the Dickens!: Crockpot Shepherd's Pie

 

This was, by far, the busiest Christmas ever.  It felt as though it were nonstop, go go go go!  It began with our arrival, which coincided with TBIL's Christmas Party.  So before we had even unpacked the car, we were whisked into activity.

The next day, TBIL had something else in store for us.  This was such a welcome change from years past when his Christmas activities were those I had planned, or those he excluded us from.  The day after we arrived, we headed to The Dickens Christmas Fair.

The festival transforms modern day San Francisco into Victorian England.  There are costumed performers and spectators in period garb.  Shops sell wares that you'd find in Dickens' time.  And many of the stores bear names that come straight from the novels (Like Fezziwig's shop where dancing is held).  Walking through the narrow lanes give you the impression of what it must have been like to do your Christmas shopping in a village many years ago.

One of the highlights for Thatbaby were the shows. As we headed into the Victoria and Albert Concert Hall to watch a melodrama, I was concerned that we'd need to beat a hasty retreat.  After all, this is a child who can barely sit through a half hour cartoon program.  But he was enthralled.  He cheered, he clapped, he didn't want to leave when it was over.  This continued to be the theme of the day for him.  There were various stages throughout the grounds with singing and musical troupes.  Every time we passed a performance, he wanted to stop and watch the singers or musicians.  And every time they finished a song he would turn to me and ask for "one more song, please."

 

Most of the things in the shoppes were pretty hands-off for little fingers, but there were a couple of things Thatbaby was invited to investigate.

 

Thatbaby wanted to go and explore every store.  From the one selling hairpins, to the one selling handcut men's clothing, to the one selling period baby clothing. 

We didn't find the kids area until we were almost ready to leave, but we still had some time to play around.

What was Thatbaby looking at so intently?  Well, he had found the carousel.  And there was no way he was going to leave until he got a turn.

My child always looks so happy on carousels, doesn't he?  I promise he was a grinning fool for most of it.  Especially since he got to ride the tiger!  He was the only one on the ride, as it was getting late, and had his pick (and an extra long turn).

We grabbed dinner at the fair.  Thatbaby and I shared a meat pastie - a handpie with meat inside.  I use the term "shared" very loosely, since Thatbaby ate most of it.  And really enjoyed it.  And I can't really blame him.  There's something about those old, homey foods that just warms you from the inside out.  Shepherd's Pie is a similar meal that could also be found in the same time period.  Historically, the recipe involves chopped/ground lamb, hence the name "shepherd's" pie.  This is a modern take on the classic recipe, using ground beef instead of lamb.  And cooked in a crockpot, which I'm pretty sure didn't exist back in Dickens's day.  Unless that's what they called you if you stood over a pot all day stirring.

Crockpot Shepherd's Pie

1 lb ground beef

4 Tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups mushrooms, chopped

1 tomato, diced

1 tsp thyme

2 Tbsp tomato paste

4 cups green beans, chopped

6 cups mashed potatoes

1. Combine ground beef, olive oil, garlic, mushrooms, tomato, thyme, tomato paste, and green beans in the crockpot.
2. Spread the mashed potatoes on top of the meat and veggie mixture.
3. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.